Hair fixative formulations, containing hair fixative polymers, have been extensively used in aerosol sprays, pump sprays, mousses and gels. Typically these hair fixative formulations make use of large amounts of alcohol, most often ethanol, in amounts of 80% or more by weight, as the principle solvent. These alcohol solvents are designated as volatile compounds and contribute in large part to the volatile content, (VOC), of these formulations. Efforts to reduce the VOC, and thereby reduce the alcohol content, of hair fixative formulations has usually involved the replacement of some or all of the alcohol with water. Hair fixative polymers which are dissolved in alcohol-water mixtures, or water alone, typically require the addition of a volatile amine neutralizing agent. The amine neutralizing agent forms a salt with pendant acid groups on the polymer, allowing the polymer to be solubilized into the water or alcohol-water mixture. Upon application, the amine, and alcohol if present, is volatilized and the hair fixative polymer becomes less soluble in the remaining water droplets and sticks to the hair shafts. Unfortunately, the majority of volatile amine neutralizing agents are also considered to be toxic, to some degree. Thus it would be desirable to develop hair fixative polymers which can be solubilized in water or in water-alcohol mixtures without reliance on the use of amine neutralizers.
In addition to providing hair fixatives having reduced VOC contents, it is important that the polymers used provide properties which enhance the hair fixative formulations. For example, the polymer should have fast drying properties such that upon application to the hair, excessive drying time is not required. Also, while fast drying is important, it is also important that the hair fixative polymer also provide for low curl droop upon application and high curl retention under high humidity conditions. The polymer compositions used in hair fixative formulations should thus provide a number of beneficial physical properties on use while the same should be solubilized in a manner which would enable reduction of VOC content in hair fixative formulations using such polymers. Furthermore, it should provide manageability of the hair upon application and drying, and it should be easily removable upon shampooing.